Switch Schools SA20 Player Profile – Zizi Mkhize (Jeppe)
Thokozani Malinga didn’t hold his emotions back, but he did wipe the tears from his face. He was crying and smiling at the same time, and he had a good reason to be overwhelmed by emotions. He had just watched his son, Zizi Mkhize, score one of the best centuries he had witnessed from the 16-year-old.
The Jeppe learner had scored a brilliant match-saving 127 from 123 deliveries for Kagiso CC‘s premier league side in their match against North West University Vaal‘s first team.
Mkhize’s skill and awareness in shot selection made it appear as if he was facing a different bowling attack from the rest of his teammates. No other Kagiso batsman made it to 25 runs.
“The odds were against us, but Zizi’s five-wicket haul and century helped us win the game. Even the opponents were not shy to tell us that Zizi is talented,” Malinga recalled.
It was a coming-of-age performance by the teenager. The young boy, who used to wear his brother’s oversized pads to face balls in the backyard and in the living room when it was raining, had proved himself against experienced men.
His innings explained why he has been a fixture in Jeppe‘s top order since his debut in 2024. When a player suffered an injury, he was called up to the 1st XI after scoring three centuries and several half-centuries for the u15A side. He grabbed his opportunity and hasn’t relinquished his position in the top three.
It didn’t take long, too, before the teenager showed the Jeppe coaches that he was more than just a top-order batsman. He was more like a miniature version of Donovan Ferreira, who bats, bowls, and keeps wicket. Like the Proteas’ star, Mkhize is competent in all three disciplines.
“He is one of the most talented players I have ever seen. He can impact the game with batting, bowling, and fielding. The impact he can have in all three spheres is incredible, and that makes him special,” Casey Arnold, the Jeppe coach, told SuperSport Schools Plus.
Many of Mkhize’s abilities are genetic; his father played before transitioning to coaching, and his older brother, Nkanyiso, is part of the DP World Lions Academy.
However, the 16-year-old doesn’t just lean on his talents. During the holidays, when he is separated from Jeppe’s facilities, Mkhize walks 45 minutes from his home to the nearest nets to practice.
Mkhize, who grew up idolising Quinton de Kock, has always embodied his hero’s dedication to the sport. Dane Vilas, who spent years on the fringes of the Proteas, revealed that De Kock’s commitment to playing international cricket led to him batting through injuries and niggles.
The best example of Mkhize emulating that came in the Sunfoil Hub Tournament in 2022. Mkhize suffered a broken nose and cuts to his face after trying to field a ball off his own bowling. He was rushed to a hospital for treatment. Yet, he returned in time to score an unbeaten 78, which carried his team to victory.
When questioned about his favourite innings, Mkhize pointed to his performance against South African College High School (SACS) in Cape Town early last year. The 16-year-old scored a match-winning 112 runs from 98 balls and also bagged two wickets for 26 runs in six overs.
The opener will draw inspiration from that performance against SACS when he takes to the field at the Switch Schools SA20 Volume Two Final Showdown. He will be one of three Jeppe batsmen on whom to keep an eye, alongside his captain, Ryan Young, and Lincoln Casais.
